Russian-Language Writer and Poet from Uzbekistan Shamshad Abdullaev Passes Away

Shamshad Abdullaev in 2015. Photo by Daniil Kislov

Shamshad Abdullaev — poet, prose writer, and essayist — passed away in Almaty on October 23, 2024, at the age of 66.

Shamshad Majitovich Abdullaev was born in Fergana in 1957. He is considered the informal leader of the «Fergana Poetry School» that emerged in Uzbekistan during the 1980s-1990s. He authored numerous books of poetry and prose written in Russian and translated into various languages.

Shamshad Abdullaev was a recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the Andrei Bely Prize (1993), the Znamya magazine prize for essays (1998), the Globus Prize (1998), twice winner of the Russian Prize for poetry (2006 and 2013), the Window magazine prize (France, 2011), the Joseph Brodsky Memorial Fellowship Fund grant (2015), and the Volga/NOS Prize from the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation for his prose book «The Other South» (2020).

Our editorial team extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.